ILOILO City – Jeepney drivers and operators in Iloilo are set to file a petition with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) seeking a P6 increase in fare.
If granted, the regular minimum fare would be P15 for the first four kilometers and thereafter, an additional P1.50 for every kilometer.
Raymundo Parcon, president of the Western Visayas Transport Cooperative, cited the weekly increase in the prices of fuel as reason for their seeking a fare hike. A liter of diesel, he said, now costs P80 to P81 per liter.
“Dalagku gid ang saka sa bili sang diesel every week. Waay na sang (income) dal-on ang mga drivers pauli sa ila pamilya, husto lang sa diesel,” said Parcon.
Yesterday, oil firms announced another round of pump price hikes for diesel and kerosene.
In separate advisories, Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex), Flying V, Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Seaoil Philippines Inc. said they hiked prices per liter of gasoline by P2.70, diesel by P6.55, and kerosene by P5.45.
Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., and PTT Philippines Corp. implemented the same changes excluding kerosene, which they do not carry.
Other firms have yet to make similar announcements for the week.
According to the Department of Energy (DOE), among the reasons for soaring oil prices are the start of increasing demand of northern hemisphere nations brought by the summer peak period, and European Union’s ban on Russian oil imports.
Last year, transport groups also filed a petition for a fare increase but backpedalled after the national government came up with a fuel subsidy for the transport sector.
“Pero subong wala…Indi man ta tani gusto magpasaka sang plete. Kon may ara tani negosasyon ang gobyerno naton nga mapasalig sa transport groups, pero ti wala,” said Parcon.
The fare hike petition will be filed this week by the Iloilo City Alliance of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association and WVTC which is chaired by Parcon.
Parcon said he is currently in talks with other transport groups and cooperatives for their support to the move.
Taxis, too, are seeking a fare increase – P10 higher than the current P40 flag down. The Association of Taxi Operators in Panay (ATOP) also cited the weekly hike in fuel prices.
Also, according to ATOP president Perfecto Yap, taxis have not received government subsidy.
Early this year, WVTC appealed to the DOE to suspend the value-added tax and excise tax on fuel to temper its rising cost.
Value-added tax is a form of sales tax. It is a tax on consumption levied on the sale, barter, exchange or lease of goods or properties and services and on importation of goods into the Philippines.
Excise tax, on the other hand, is a tax on the production, sale or consumption of a commodity. It is imposed on goods manufactured or produced in the Philippines for domestic sale or consumption or for any other disposition; and also on goods imported./PN
